Brisbane – The world’s tallest office tower made entirely out of engineered timber is set to be built in Australia by the end of 2018. Featuring nine storeys and reaching a height of 45 metres, the new design as already considered the future of modern construction.

The design from the Australian architecture firm Bates Smart calls for the use of engineered timber or Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). Considered by many to be the future of construction, CLT is when several layers of wood are glued together under high pressure with the grain of each perpendicular to the one before. This achieves a structural stability and strength akin to concrete and steel.

“Buildings made from engineered timber have a lower carbon footprint than other building materials: the production process produces zero waste, and timbers are sourced from certified sustainably managed forests,” according to the developer, Lendlease.

Engineered timber projects also generate less noise pollution during construction, and the structures, which can be plugged in together similar to Lego or an IKEA kit, can be erected much faster than those built using traditional construction methods – up to six times faster for the all-timber office tower planned for Brisbane.

Australia’s building code was changed last year to permit medium-rise timber structures, but one of the major outstanding concerns is that they pose a fire hazard. According to Nick Hewson, a technical manager with the New Zealand-based engineered wood supplier XLam, the new wooden buildings require sprinklers and fire-resistant linings, and when the wood is cleared, it must be thick enough.

“[With thick wood] you can subject it to long periods of fire exposure,” the expert told the Guardian.

Written by Barbara Barkhausen